team kerr

LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

​Bundoran 10 Mile

In february 2019 we attended the inaugural spirit of running awards gala at the city hotel, armagh.

The awards were an opportunity to celebrate the growth and popularity of running(road & trail) for people of all abilities.

We were delighted to be the charity partner for the evening and the night was made even more special when aaron was named as the 'male inspirational runner'.

It is with immense pride that we can announce that our wonderful son Aaron has been recognised in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honour list and been awarded the Medallist of the order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to Disability Awareness and to Assisted Running in the United Kingdom.

We are delighted that the honours system is recognising diversity and people of all abilities, sending out an extremely positive message that whatever your disability, with the right support you can be a role model, inspire others and achieve great things within your community. As Aaron’s Mum and Dad we have always been extremely proud of how Aaron overcomes the daily challenges he faces with courage and positivity. This recognition of Aaron’s hard work and how he has given back to the community is testament to the man he has become, serving to only increase our pride even further. When Aaron was born our lives were turned upside down and the future seemed like a very dark and scary place. Over the following years we cried so many tears through endless hospital appointments, surgeries and impossible decisions we had to make. Life in those days seemed so cruel and unfair as we drifted from diagnosis to diagnosis with everything looking so bleak. If you had told us back then that our boy would go on to receive an BEM we simply would not have believed you.

“𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨” 𝙅𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙚 𝙡𝙖 𝘽𝙧𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙚

For almost 9 years now Aaron has run all over the UK and Ireland, inspiring people and spreading his message of inclusion. He has run 51 marathons as well as hundreds of other events, named one of the UK’s most influential disabled people in 2019, changed the rules at London and Manchester marathon so that assisted runners can take part, voted most inspirational male runner at the Spirit of Running, been awarded a Points of Light from the Prime Ministers office, received the Spirit of London Marathon, as well as many other achievements and countless people have been on the end of one of his famous hugs, with many more having been made to shake hands and become friends with complete strangers!!

We know that lots of you think highly of Aaron and we want to say thank you for all the support you have given him (and us) over the years, it really does mean a great deal to our family. Before we started running we felt isolated and cut off from the rest of society and we weren’t sure how we would be accepted, but it is safe to say that the majority of people understand what we are doing, but more importantly the reason why we do it, and that reason is simply Aaron.

​​POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD

The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list is published every year to recognise and celebrate the 100 most influential disabled people within the UK.

The list comprises of 7 categories:

Arts, Fashion and Design
Business, Finance and I.T
Entertainment
Politics and Law
Education, Public and Third Sector
Digital, Media and Publishing
Sport

We as parents were extremely proud when we were all invited to the House of Lords for the launch of the 2019 list.

Aaron has been selected to feature on the 2019 list and has been included in the sports category. We are delighted that he  received this recognition for which he not only deserves, but has worked extremely hard for. The list also includes people such as Lee Ridley(Lost Voice Guy), Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Anne Hegerty, Ade Adepitan, Warwick Davis, many more amazing people with an MBE/CBE, and now our wee son from County Down 💚

In our experience, people who have complex needs can often be overlooked and under estimated by society, and even more so those with communication difficulties. Our son faces these challenges and difficulties daily, so to be recognised, respected and valued for his contribution to society is absolutely incredible and a true credit to Aaron.

Aaron has been included for his contribution and achievements within sport, also being recognised as an ambassador for assisted running.

As well as making the 2019 list, Aaron has the pride of being the only person from Northern Ireland to feature on it.

This is a huge honour for Aaron and our family, and it proves that whatever disability you may have, whether physical, learning, or both, you can achieve great things with the right encouragement and support.

We were surprised and delighted to be presented after the race with the “The Extra Mile for Grace Award”.

The award is in memory of the late Grace Gilliland who was a regular participant in the event and is awarded to an individual or team who do that little bit extra when taking part. Thank you, it means so much to us and we were honoured to receive the certificate from Grace’s mummy Olga.

spirit of running gala awards

Aaron William kerr bem

Aaron was delighted to receive the Inclusion Award on behalf of Team Kerr from Running at 40 Plus.

 It is great to see people with complex needs being recognised within the running community and valued for what they bring. We have seen some big changes in inclusion over the years, but there is still lots more that needs to be done and Aaron will keep working hard to make sure it happens .

Running at 40 plus

It’s not everyday you are contacted by the DCMS on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office!! Aaron has been recognised for his work within Team Kerr, and the incredible steps taken to make road races more inclusive for assisted runners with a ‘Point of Light’ award. Points of Light are outstanding individual volunteers-people who are making a difference in their community. Every week day the Prime Minister recognises an inspirational volunteer with the daily Points of Light award. Today’s recipient is Aaron, and we couldn’t be more proud

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗻-𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀, 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.” 

Aaron has been named ‘Sports Personality of the Month’ for October 2022 by Be Active Stay Active Lisburn Castlereagh. This is in recognition of the change Aaron has made at the London Marathon for assisted runners. 

A big thank you to Lisburn Council and Decathlon for acknowledging Aaron’s hard work and dedication

​shaw trust power 100 list